Sixths to theodoee j



(No Model.) .Y A. J. SIMPSON.-

l MACHINE FORHBREAKING LOADED SHELLS.

Patented' Deo. 18, 1883.

Nv BETERS, Phawumogmplm. washi xxxxxxxx Cy IINTTnn 4STATES PATENT Ormes.

ANDREV JACKSON SIMPSON, OF VASHINGTON, D. C., ASSIGNOR OF FIVE- SIXTHS TO THEODORE J. MAYER, VILLIAM F. FARRISH, FRANK P. DAVIS, VILLIAM II. COVINGTON, AND JESSE B. VILSON, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

MACHiNE FOR BREAKINGALIOADED SHELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,606, dated December 18, 1883.

Application filed June 28, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. SIMPSON, of Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improve- 5 mentsin Machines for Breaking Loaded Shells;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the in` vention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and Io use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in methods and machines for breaking loaded shot and shell, for which I obtained Letters Patent N o. 17 6,081, dated April 11, 1876, and

it consists in certain details of construction, as.

vided with a central V-shaped groove, d, runwill be hereinafter fully set forth.

The object of this invention is to produce a more perfect machine than the one described and claimed in my former patent herein re- 2o ferred to; also, for the better protection of the workmen employed on the machine. It is well known that many lives have been lost by the explosion of condemned shot and shell while being handled in breaking them by the former methods employed previous to the use of my invention. To avoid all accidents that may occur in such cases, I have made radical changes in the construction of the water-anvil and in the operating mechanism of the ma- 3o chine. I have also combined and arranged certain efficient and improved safeguards in the rear of t-he machine, which make it almost an impossibility for the workmen to receive any injuries from any accidents whatever that 3 5 may occurl while working the machine. I have also-constructed the machine so as to be readily taken apart for transportation from place to place.

i In the accompanying drawings, forming'part 4o of this specication, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine for breaking loaded shot and shell, the rear shield, watertank, and windlass being detachedl therefrom. Fig. 2 is a plan or top View of the entire machine with the top removed, showing the interior of the water-anvil, the rear guard, water tank and pipe, and windlass in their relative positions; and Fig. 3 is a detail view.

' the same.

A represents the basilranvil, constructed of cast-iron, steel, or other suitable metal. The anvil is made in two separable parts, a and a. The lower part, a, is nearly square on its base, having its rear end curved outwardly, its front str. ight and perpendicular, audits two sides slightly curved and inclined inwardly, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

Ihe basin B is formed on the inside of lower portion, a. It is semi-cylindrical in its rear portion. Its sides form two diverging tangents, as shown in Fig. 2. In a fullsize machine the thickness of the rear wall, b b', and each side c c of the basin B should not be less than twelve inches. The bottom of basin B is pro ning from themouth of the basin to a circular depression, c, in the center of the rear end of The mouth ofthe basin is provided with an adjustable lieXible gate, C, preferably made of spring-steel, its ends slightly beveled to t into similarly-shaped grooves on the inner edges of guide-plates f f, secured to the face of the anvil on each side of the laringmouth g of the basin. Gate C is adjusted vertically to the height required, and held in position by resting upon a headed pin,

JL, placed in one of a series of holes, t', made for that purpose in' the face of the anvil. Said gate C, by reason of its fiexibility, will yield y to the force of an explosion and be displaced, thereby giving vent to and allowing the fragments of shell to issue from the mouth of the machine, thus insuring the safety of the worki men and avoiding injury to the machine.

j j are recesses in the sides of the base of the machine, adapted for the insertion of the point of a crow-bar to assist in raising or moving the machine.

The upper part, a', of the anvil A is of similar -shape to the top part of a, and is securely fastened thereto by bolts la k, in the well-known manner. Fart a is arched, as shown in Fig.

1, and at its central portion, or on line x x, Fig. 2, it is re-enforeed on each side of the hammeraperture by abutments Z Z, which form a hori-' zontal platform adapted to receive wooden cheek-blocks m m. Said check-blocks m are used in pairs of equal length, their length depending upon the size of the shell, shot, or projectile to be broken. a represents a hole through the arched top a', through which the hammer D enters the basin.

E E represent perpendicular guide-bars, square in cross-section, passing through suitable holes in a! into corresponding holes, o, in the base a, and secured thereto by set-screwsp.

F F are square bars, whose ends are bent at right angles and in opposite directions to each other. Said bars F F are, when bent, equal in length to guide-bars E E, and are bolted to them and to part a', as shown in Fig. l. Bars E and F support .the movable mechanism of the machine.

Hammer D is cylindrical in its body portion q, and its lower end or striking part,r,is made slightly conical, for the purpose of allowing more gas-room in the basin whenever an eX- plosion shall occur therein. rlhe hammer is provided with guide-arms s s, grooved at their outer ends, to adapt them to slide easily up and down the inner angles' of guide-bars E E.

t is a large headed bolt secured in the center of the upper face of the hammer, by which it may be raised.

G is a vertically-sliding lifting-bar provided in a suitable recess at its center with a pair of pivoted grappling-hooks, u u.

h is a strap secured to the central part .of bar G, and carries a small pulley, i, under which the hoisting-rope passes.

H is an adjustable cross-brace and releasingbar. It is constructed with three enlargementsone at its center and one at each end, as shown in Fig. 1. In the central enlargement is a suitable aperture, o, adapted to engage and compress the long arms c of grappling-hooks u in their ascent, and cause them to release their hold on bolt t of the hammer whenever desired. The two end enlargements of brace H are mortised at c2,so that the bar may be moved up or down on the guide-bars E E. Set-screws t e secure the bar at any required height.

I is a rope connected at one end to the block of pulley J on shaft i2, and passing thence downward under pulley t' of the lifting-bar, thence upward and over pulley J. It is secured at its opposite end to a windlass, K, or to any other motive power.

L is a heavy wooden shield made of a semiquadrangular form with projecting corners, as shown in Fig. 2. Said shield is siX or eight feet in height, and may be secured to the base of the anvil by straps or bolts. In the projecting corners 7c is a shelf7 d, upon which is placed a reservoir or water-tank, M, connected by a pipe, c', with the basin B. f is a faucet in pipe e', to regulate the supply of .water to the anvil.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The iiexible gate C is adjusted to the required height by resting it upon pin 7L, as hereinbefore described. The shell, shot, or

other projectile to be broken is laid in the central depression, o, or groove d, with its fuse pointing outwardly toward the mouth of the basin at an angle of about forty-five degrees. The supply of water is admitted by opening Jfaucet j, and the hammer, which was previously partially raised to permit the placing of the shot, shell, or other projectile in the basin, is further raised by means ofthe windlass until the releasing-bar H causes the hammer to descend and by its momentum break the shell in the basin. The combustible materials of the shell, being under water, are not liable to be ignited by any chance sparks produced by the concussion of the hammer. The water serves as a further protection to the operator while removing the broken shell and powder from the basin. The hammer is prevented, by its arms s s striking the checkblocks m m, from penetrating too far into the basin and crushing the shot or shell into too small pieces, thereby injuring the market value of the metal.

It will be seen from the above that the hammer is automatically grappled by the hooks u engaging with the conical-headed bolt t, and released therefrom by means of the releasingbar H, thereby effecting a great saving of time, and greatly increasing the capabilities of the machine.

It is also evident from the above description that the whole machine may be easily taken apart and separated in many smaller and less weighty pieces, for the purpose of facilitating the removal of the machine from place to place. v

For a large machine the hammer should weigh fteen or sixteen hundred pounds. To break a six-inch shell the hammer should be raised about thirty-six inches, and for a teninch shell about iifty inches.

The central longitudinal il-shaped groove, d, and the circular depression e in the bottom of basin B are very eiiicient aids for placing and retaining the shot or shell in alignment with the hammer, thereby insuring the best effect and most efficient action of the hammer every time.

In case of an explosion, which, though not usual, is liable to occur at any time, the flexible gate C at the mouth of the basin performs avery important function. It remainsin place under the ordinary conditions existing in working the machine, but, when anexplosion occurs within the basin B, yields without breaking or otherwise injuring itself or the machine, and is forced out of its normal place, followed by the contents of the basin, without any danger to the operator, who is safely intrenched behind the thick rear wall and under the roof of the machine.

It would seem to be almost impossible for a workman to receive any injury whatever while breaking the most dangerous of all condemned shot or shell that may be found, if my improved machine is employed therefor.

IOO

IIO

4What I claim as neW, and desire to secure 3. In combination with a basin-anvil, A, by Letters Patent, isand drop-hammer D, the detachable shield L, l. The basin-anvil A, having three rigid provided with shelf d, watertank M, and sides, and the eover ci', secured rigidly and pipe e', as herein shown, and for lshe purpose 5 closely thereon, said @over having the abutset forth.

ments Z on top thereof, and the check-blocks 7- T T constructed to rest on Jche abutinentsl, as shown ANDREV JACIXSOB SIMPSON and described. Vitnesses: r 2. In zn machine for breaking loaded shell, H. A. HALL,

Io the flexible gat-e C in the basin-anvil. THOS. HOUGHTO. 

